Musicians Directory: In Memory

It is a sad fact that we are all getting older far too
quickly. Since the Showband Era started over 55 years ago, the musicians who
made up it's ranks are all advancing in age. Even someone who was 20 in 1985 as
the era ended is over 50, with the elders of the era pushing past 80!

We take this opportunity to pay tribute
to the many stars on whom the curtain has come down all too soon. Where possible
we try to give details of the musician's passing and their career in bands. This
listing is by no means complete and only includes those musicians
for which we have received notification of their passing and have
done our best, in all cases, to double check the accuracy of the
info we have received.

If you would like pay tribute to someone by adding them to
this list,
click here to
let us know. We are trying to get photos of all the musicians listed here. Please let
us know if you have one, we especially would like photos from the showband era.

Miami, Stepaside,
Dazzle Band, Emmet Spiceland
(Paul sadly passed away 10th January, 2011)Paul joined the Miami in August 1967, when the
band split to form the
the Sands. In 1973 he went to study at the Berklee School of
Music
in Boston. Upon his return, he rejoined the Irish scene with Stepaside.
Paul
become a top session
musician and fronted his own Paul Ashford
Band up until the time of his death
in 2011.

Aughey,
Sid (Donal)

Mullingar,
Co. Westmeath

Drums

Drifters, Times
(Sid sadly passed away 29th July, 2014)Sid joined the Drifters around 1963 when he replaced Eddie Deehy as
the band's drummer. He would leave the band in 1968 to form the
Times which he stayed with until around 1971 when he left the stage to
manage the band. He also managed the fortunes of the Swarbriggs
Brothers through the late 1970's.

Firehouse Five, The Plainsmen, Real Country,
The Times
(Vinny passed away suddenly on the 20th July, 2013)In 1982, Vinny quit the business
but got back into playing when he
started
teaching his son. Vinny was soon the owner of a new recording
studio. He released his first solo album, 'So', in 2003
and he continued
to play and record regularly with the
Tennessee Country Breakdown
Band, along with other groups
throughout the Midlands and across the
country until his
death. A friend to the site for years, our sympathies
are extended to his family and
friends.

Dermot O'Brien's
Clubmen, Tigermen
(Johnny sadly passed away Apr 5, 2007 - Liam Reilly)Johnny started his career with the Flying Carlton
in Drogheda ,
joining Dermot O'Brien's Clubmen in 1963. The band and
Dermot
parted company for a few years with Johnny , Eamonn Campbell,
Timmy Regan and Willie Healy forming the Tigermen. They
rejoined Dermot
a couple of years later and Johnny and the late
Derek McCormack remained
with Dermot as the Dermot O'Brien
Trio until Dermot moved to the USA -
Liam Reilly

Bates,
Syd

Bass

Syd Bates Orchestra
(Syd sadly passed away on March 9, 2008 - from his son,
Jim and
daughter, Jill. He was 86)Syd emigrated to New Zealand in 1985, but returned to Ireland in
2006 at the age of 84

Tweed
(Robert's cousin, Katie Measham, wrote to tell us that he was
tragically killed in a car crash on Easter Sunday night, 24th April,
2011)

Birch,
Bo*

Belfast,
Co. Antrim

Vocals

Grenadiers Showband
(Bo's daughter Jacqueline wrote us to let us know that
Bo sadly passed away on November 5th, 1996)

Bogle,
Martin

Manager

Memories
(sadly passed away in August 1995 - Ken Bogle)

Bourgoyne,
Johnny(aka Stewart
Neill)

Newcastle,
Co. Down

Keyboards

Maurice Lynch Band, Red Sunbeams Showband, Pat Campbell
Showband
(Johnny sadly passed away 9th June, 2011 - Owen Neill, son)Johnny emigrated to Canada around 1968
where we think he stayed
until his death the day before his 72nd birthday in Edmonton, Canada.

Bourke,
Ciaran

Dublin,
Co. Dublin

Whistle

Dubliners
(Ciaran sadly passed away on May 10th, 1988)Founder member of the Dubliners Ciaran, suffered a brain hemorrhage
and collapsed on
stage in 1974. Unfortunately, he never fully recovered
and although
he lived another 14 years he did not rejoin the group and
was never replaced. His
final appearance with the band was on the Late
Late Show in
March, 1987, he was only 53 when he passed away on May
10th,
1988.

Southern Express
(Gerry sadly passed away in November 2009 - Paddy Gallagher)Gerry started his career playing guitar in Silver Wings
which featured
Benny Quinn who fronted the Keynotes after Margo. Then in the mid
eighties he formed Southern Express. After a kidney transplant around
1990 but was back on the road in a few months again. He continued to
play and record up until his death at the young age of 54.

Brennan,
Frankie

Tubbercurry,
Co. Sligo

Guitar

Clefonaires Showband, Montrose
(Frankie sadly passed away in Oct., 2003)He was a guitar player and singer with the Clefonaires Showband
for some years and later joined the Montrose
Showband that featured in the Showband Show on RTE

Brown,
Billy

Ballymena,
Co. Antrim

Keyboards

Billy McFarland, Freshmen, Brown & O'Brien,
Billy Brown Band
(passed away in 1999)Billy was one of the true pioneers of pop music in Ireland, guiding
the Freshmen
in the late 60's when Irish pop was still very much
a part of the showband scene in the ballrooms and dancehalls.
Their album, Peace On Earth, still stands as one of the best Irish
pop records ever made. Billy went on to become one of Ireland's
top song writers and record producers before his untimely
death.

Browne,
James

Kiltimagh,
Co. Mayo

Pete Browne's Band of Renown, Sundowners (passed away in 2002)

Browne,
Pete

Kiltimagh,
Co. Mayo

Pete Browne's Band of Renown, Sundowners
(passed away on November 15, 2001)

Pat Burke 7
(Pat sadly passed away on November 20th,. 2017, he was 90).In September, 2017, Pat was still
going strong at the age of 90. He had
continued to
entertain audiences across the Cork area since he moved
there in 1976. Pat never gave up his "day job" but
was
retired for many
years, although he was kept busy with his sax. We received sad news
on November 27, 2017 from Eamon Burke that Pat sadly passed away on
November 20th, 2017. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and
friends across Ireland.

Silver Slipper Ballroom/Baymount
Hotel, Strandhill Co. Sligo
(Sean sadly passed away after a short illness on 11th April, 2016 )Sean built the Silver Slipper Ballroom
onto his Baymount Hotel in
early 1960, opening the door on the 22nd of April. For the next thirty
years, the ballroom was the hub of entertainment and dancing in
Sligo and across much of the Northwest. It was eventually torn down
and replaced with apartments, but never forgotten

Cahill,
Gerry

Caherlistrane,
Co. Galway

Accordion

Gerry Cahill Dance Band
(Gerry passed away 31st Oct, 2011 - Deirdre Hurney, his
daughter)
Gerry was born in Caherlistrane and started playing music from the age
of eight. In the early fifties he moved to Galway to work, and also to
continue his musical career. He played on Radio Éireann for the first
time around then on a very popular programme called Beginners
Please. In 1954 he got together with a group of talented musicians and
formed a band which was known as The Gerry Cahill Dance Band. After
he gave up the dance band Gerry turned to cabaret for a time, and
recorded a solo LP for the Glenside label.

Dixielanders,
Dixies Showband
(passed away July 24, 1988)Theo, a founding member of the Dixies,
who formed the band
with Joe McCarthy and Sean Lucey in 1954 was with the band
through its entire career. He tragically passed away after
collapsing during a gig in Achill, Co. Mayo.

Callaghan,
Colm*

Drums

Marines Showband (Colm sadly passed away)

Campbell,
Eamonn

Drogheda,
Co. Louth

Guitar/Vocals

Delta Showband, Bee Vee's Five, Clubmen, Tigermen,
Dubliners(sadly passed away on October 16th, 2017). Eamonn started his career with the Delta Showband and went
on to
join Dermot O'Brien's
Clubmen eventually becoming one of the top
session musicians
in Ireland. He became a well known
producer and
produced the Dubliner's 1987 album 25 Years
Celebration and continued
to be a
mainstay of the group's lineup until his death at the age of
70
after a short illness.

The Method, Andwella's Dream,
Taste
(Wilgar sadly passed away in late April, 2006)Wilgar first joined Belfast band The Method which relocated to
London in 1968.
He then joined Taste in 1970. After leaving Taste, he
played with Terraplane, and
then formed The Wildcats. In 1976 he joined
the 1950s-style rock and roll band
Yakety Yak, and in 1981 members of
Yakety Yak formed the Dragons, who
changed their name to Sonny King &
the Sons of Swing in 1982. Wilgar sadly died
on October 1, 1989 after
suffering from alcohol-related illnesses.

Berwyn
Showband
(Brendan O'Loughlin wrote and told us Joe sadly passed away on
June 4, 2007)

Carroll,
Bert

Drums

Altonaires Showband
(Clare Byrne, Robert's grand daughter wrote to tell us he sadly
died of a heart attch in 1983. )

Carlin,
Hugo

Derry,
Co. Derry

Bass

The Trend (Derry)
(Hugo sadly passed away on the 29th of July, 2016)

Carroll,
Doc

Ballinrobe,
Co. Mayo

Vocals

Band of Renown,
Royal Blues, Nightrunners
(Doc sadly passed away on May 1, 2005 at the age of 64)Born in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, Doc came to prominence in Pete
Brown's Band of Renown and later with the Royal Blues and his own
band, the Nightrunners.
Doc was still performing when he fell ill
early in 2005. He died
on Sunday, May 1 and was buried in Athlone,
where he lived at
the time of his death.

Miami, Lola and the Gypsies,
Big 8
(Norman sadly passed away 13th January, 2013 - Ray Clifford)Norman started his career with the Imperial
Imps when he was only 14.
He then went on to help form Lola and the
Gypsies with Anne Mooney.
After a stint with the reformed Miami, Norman
joined the Big 8 and went
to Las Vegas. Like several of his band mates,
Norman stayed in Vegas
and was performing in many of the casinos around
the city.

Clince,
Nancy

Dublin,
Co. Dublin

Keyboards

Johnny Butler Orchestra, Kevin Doherty Band, Johnny Weir (Nancy's son, Alec, sent us an email to tell us she sadly passed
away on March 16, 2010 after a short illness. Nancy was 87 years
old.)After playing with the showbands in the
early days, Nancy
became a music teacher.

Close,
Dick

Bass

Cossacks Showband Founder
(sadly passed away in 1998)

Cole,
Phil

Dublin,
Co. Dublin

Sax

Crickets Showband
(Thomas Harrington wrote to tell us that Phil sadly passed away
a few years ago and we thank Thomas for the photo)

Coll,
Christy*

Mullingar,
Co. Westmeath

Guitar

Classic Showband
(Patrick Hoye wrote to tell us that Christy sadly passed away in
early
April, 2006)

Arrivals Showband,
Swingtime Aces(Billy sadly passed away January 12th, 2012)
Brother of Kerry Blues' musicians, Alfie, John and D.J.
Curtin, Billy
played sax with the Swingtime Aces and the Arrivals Showband until
1971. After leaving the showbands, Billy played with the Guinness Jazz
Band and was still playing music up until three months
before his
passing.

Curtin,
Glen

Cork,
Co. Cork

Vocals

Glen Curtin Band,New Blues, Nevada, Galaxy Band (Glen sadly passed away September 20th, 2009 aged 66)
Glen started his Irish career in March 1972 with The Glen Curtin
Band and later joined the New Blues. After the New Blues, Glen
was with the Nevada. He then formed his own Galaxy Band in the
late seventies. He had many hit records during his showband
career. His album "The Very Best of Glen Curtin" was recently
released on Crashed Records.

Davis,
Gerry

Drumlish,
Co. Longford

Bass

Hi-Lows Showband
(Gerry sadly passed away on March 12, 2010- Oliver Casserly)We have found online that Gerry was 62 in 2004, so we are
assuming he was around 68 when he died.

Banshees, Mexicans
(Philip emigrated to the States in the mid 90's and ran a sailing
school on the Chesapeake Bay with his wife, Arabella. He sadly
passed away when he suffered a heart attack on July 24, 2011.)

Dave Dixon
Orchestra,
Dixonaires
Showband(Dave sadly passed away on stage March 5,
1985-aged 59)Dave was there at the beginning of the
showband era in 1950 with
his Dave Dixon Orchestra. Around 1962, he
dropped the Orchestra
concept, added guitars and became the Dixonaires Showband and
was the first band for Eurovision star, Pat McGeegan. Dave and
his
band played until 1985, when he passed away on stage while
playing a charity gig for the local hospital.

The Drifters
(Joe sadly passed away December 26, 2007)Not much can be said about the showband era without the mention
of Joe Dolan and the Drifters, one of the most successful bands of
the era and one of the most enduring performers the country has
ever known. For a full appreciation of Joe and his career,Please click here.

Dolan,
Joe

Galway,
Co. Galway

Guitar

Sweeney's Men,
Capitol Showband, Swingtime Aces
(Joe sadly passed away of cancer on January 7, 2008 - Pat Loughman)The "other" Joe Dolan was an art student in Dublin and the
original guitar player with The Capitol Showband. He left when
Jimmy Hogan and Butch Moore joined from the Blue Clavons.
He had previously played with the folk group, Sweeney's Men,
who were managed by Des Kelly. After leaving the scene he
became a professional artist in Co. Galway until his death.

Doohan,
Tom*

Charlestown,
Co. Mayo

Sax/Clarinet

Dixietones
(Tom sadly passed away in 1972)

Doris,
Malachy

Cookstown,
Co. Tyrone

Accordion/
Vocals

Vincent Lowe Trio, Granada
Showband,Malachy Doris Ceili Band,
Rovers Showband
(Malachy sadly passed away October 1st, 1999)Malachy, like contemporary Dermot O'Brien, came from the Ceili
tradition in Ireland, starting out with the Vincent Lowe Trio before
forming his own band. As Ceili died away in the dancehalls,
Malachy turned his talents to the showband scene, first with the
Granada Showband and then his own Rovers Showband.

Dubliners, Solo career
(Ronnie sadly passed away on 16th August, 2008)A founder members of Ireland's greatest folk export, TheDubliners, Ronnie was a legend on the Irish and international
entertainment scene. Along with Luke Kelly, he forged a new
era in Irish folk music and was recognized as one of Ireland's
greatest story tellers. He will be missed.

Duggan Brothers, Brotherly Love
(Gerry sadly passed away September 13, 2008).
One of Sligo's very talented Duggans, Gerry and his brothers
made an impression on the local scene while still in school.
In the early seventies, they were signed by EMI records and
released several singles. The band retired to civilian life in the
early 80's and Gerry became a very successful architectural
engineer, working on many prominent buildings in Ireland.

Hoedowners(sadly passed away 17th May, 2011)A carpenter by trade, Sean went to
England after serving in the Irish
Army. He returned to join the Hoedowners
who scored 14 chart singles
and
became one of the most successful bands of the era. Sean was
also in Eurovision. in 1973 Sean
emigrated to Canada, but returned to
Ireland and spent his last years
entertaining fans around Ireland,
although on a much
reduced schedule.

Dunphy,
Tom

Waterford,
Co. Waterford

Bass

Royal
Showband,
Brendan Bowyer & The
Big 8
(killed in a car crash on July 29, 1975)A founding member of
The Royal
Showband, Tom had the
distinction of singing on the very first showband record, Come
Down The Mountain Katy Daly. After almost 15 years of success
with the Royal, Tom, along with Brendan Bowyer, formed the Big
Eight and started performing in Las Vegas as the showband era
started to slide. On a trip home in 1975, Tom was killed on his way
to a gig near Drumsna, Co. Leitrim.